Service-charge review: start with what you want to understand.

Identify the document before comparing the numbers

Budgets, payment demands and completed-period accounts tell you different things. Begin with the document’s name, the building or schedule it covers and its dates. Check whether a previous-period adjustment is included before comparing the headline total with an earlier demand.

If one line is unclear, identify that category and the question it raises. For example, you might want to understand why a cleaning allowance changed or how a planned repair is reflected in the budget. A precise starting point makes it easier to identify what information would help.

If you include an amount, say whether it relates to one flat or the whole building, how often it is payable and which period it covers. For example, £200 per month for one flat is different from a £200 annual contribution or a one-off works demand.

Explain the uncertainty in your own words

You do not need technical language. Describe what you expected, what the document appears to say and what you cannot reconcile. If you have already received an explanation, summarise the part that remains unclear rather than forwarding a long email chain at the outset.

Building context can matter too: shared services, known works or a change in management may help explain the question. The goal of the first enquiry is to understand the concern, not to ask you to assemble a complete audit file before a conversation can begin.

If your concern is an increase, our service-charge increase checklist can help you identify the changed categories before sending your enquiry.

Begin without a complete document bundle

For an initial enquiry, a short summary and the relevant period are normally the useful starting point. Avoid emailing other residents’ contact details, bank information or unredacted personal records. We can discuss which documents are needed if a defined review is appropriate.

Keep your originals and record the questions you want answered. This makes it easier to distinguish a missing explanation from a matter requiring more detailed examination. If we need additional information, we will explain its purpose and how to provide it.

Agree the scope before work starts

A short explanation and a detailed review are different pieces of work. Once we understand the request, we can discuss whether we can help, the information required and the proposed scope. Any fees for agreed work should be discussed before that work begins.

There is no standard public review price because the documents, periods and questions differ. The enquiry is a way to establish a sensible next step. It is not an automatic instruction to carry out a paid review.

Understand the limits of a first explanation

An explanation of a budget line is not the same as an audit, legal advice or a formal determination of a dispute. We will discuss the scope of any proposed work rather than imply that every question can be settled from a single document.

If you have received a formal notice or are working to a deadline, say so in your initial message and seek appropriate specialist guidance where needed. Do not assume that sending a general enquiry changes an existing deadline or payment arrangement.

Keep the question useful beyond the first reply

A helpful outcome may be a clearer explanation, a list of information to request or a proposal for a defined review. You should understand what the next step is and why it would help with the original question.

Our Service Charges overview is a useful companion to this page. It explains the difference between budgets, demands and accounts and suggests ways to ask clearer questions about your building’s costs.

Ready to explain your question? Return to the service-charge review enquiry and choose the type of charge you want to discuss.